Apple pulls Secret from App Store in Brazil in compliance with local free speech laws

Apple has removed the popular anonymous sharing appSecret from the Brazilian App Store, in compliance with a recent court order upholding the prohibition of anonymous freedom of speech in Brazil.

As noted by 9to5Mac, the removal of Secret is itself in observance of section 22.1 of Apple’s App Store guidelines. “Apps must comply with all legal requirements in any location where they are made available to users,” the relevant section states. “It is the developer’s obligation to understand and conform to all local laws.”

The Brazilian court ruling, which was issued a couple of days ago, ordered Apple and Google to pull Secret from their respective app stores within 10 days. But while Apple has abided by the ruling, Google is yet to remove the app from the Google Play Store, according to The Next Web.

Secret no more.

Interestingly, other anonymous sharing apps, including Whisper and Yik Yak, are still available on the App Store in Brazil.